Concerts in Bulgaria: What’s On from July to December 2015

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The series of concerts – pop, classical, metal or otherwise – in the second half of 2015 in Bulgaria may be said to begin on July 3 as the Mirabai Ceiba duo bring their world tour to the Independent Theatre, formerly the Modern Theatre, in Sofia.

Mirabai Ceiba consists of guitarist/singer Markus Sieber and singer/harpist/pianist Angelika Baumbach, who have forged a new style of world devotional music blending Gurmukhi mantras from the Kundalini Yoga tradition with original songs in English and Spanish that reflect a Native American influence. Tickets for the event, which begins at 7pm, cost from 35 to 55 leva and are available via eventim.bg.

On July 3, 4 and 5, the A to JazZ Jam Sessons are on again at Studio 5 in the NDK building in Sofia, with each performance beginning at 10.30pm. Tickets are on sale via Studio 5’s websiteor via the websites of eventim.bg, or ticketlogic, ticketportal and ticketplus.

July 4, 5, 7 and 9 see the performances by Sofia Opera of Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung, while Sofia Opera’s programme also includes Bizet’s Les Pecheurs De Perles on July 16, 17 and 18. Tickets via operasofia.bg.

Down at Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, Robbie Williams headlines on the opening day of Spirit of Burgas 2015, on August 7. The two days of the festival, on the central beach in Bourgas, feature a large number of acts, including Kwabs and band, Stereo MCs, Basska, Mastilo, Tribe Steppaz, Kasabian, Danny Byrd and many more. For further details, please visit the Spirit of Burgas website.

Up in the mountains, the annual Bansko Jazz Festival is on from August 7 to 13. Acts this year include the Shelly Berg Trio, Mungo Jerry, the Jazzbones (from Germany), Jam Station (from Serbia), Klezmafour (from Poland), the Bágyi Balázs New Quartet (Hungary), Lesní zvěř (Czech Republic), the David Helbock Trio (Austria), the Monty Alexander Trio (US) and Incognito (UK),

In Plovdiv, the city that is to be European Capital of Culture in 2019, the Autumn Salon the Arts will feature an opening concert on September 1, although meanwhile details of the concert are yet to be announced.

Back in Sofia, UK drum and bass quartet Rudimental and Ella Eyre will be live at the Inter Expo Centre on September 12 at 9pm. Rudimental and Eyre topped the UK singles charts in 2013 with Waiting All Night, following on the same success for Rudimental’s 2012 single Feel the Love. Tickets via eventim.bg.

Also on September 12, Croatian-Slovenian duo 2Cellos returns to Bulgaria,. The duo, who play mainly instrumental arrangements of well-known pop and rock songs, will be at the Ancient Theatre in Plovdiv at 8pm as part of this year’s Sound of the Ages. Tickets, costing from 60 to 80 leva, via eventim.bg.

On September 17, Irish singer Roisin Murphy will be in Sofia as part of her tour to promote her new album Hairless Toys. Her performance, at the Universiada Hall, starts at 7.30pm. Tickets from 50 to 90 leva via eventim.bg.

The 2015 Sounds of the Ages at Plovdiv’s Ancient Theatre sees Apocalyptica on September 18 at 8pm, with tickets costing 55 or 75 leva, Opeth and Orchestra on September 18 and 19, both performances at 8pm, and Macaco on September 20 at 8pm. Details via Sound of the Ages’ Facebook page.

Eros Ramazzotti will be in Sofia on September 26 at Arena Armeec as part of the Eros World Tour 2015. The Italian musician and singer-songwriter, who has sold more than 60 million albums in his career since the 1980s, will perform the new songs from his new album “Perfetto”. Tickets via eventim.bg.

October 3 in Sofia sees Lord of the Dance – Dangerous Games at the National Palace of Culture’s Hall 1 at 8pm. The show premiered at the London Palladium on September 1 2014 and has been a runaway success. The performances in Bulgaria in Sofia, and in Rousse on October 4, are among about 200 across 15 countries. Ticket prices range from 35 to 110 leva and tickets may be bought at the NDK box office or via eventim.bg.

Plovdiv Jazz Nights will be on the Boris Christoff Cultural Centre in the city from October 8 to 11. Performers and the programme are yet to be announced.

On October 11, Joe Satriani’s the Shockwave Tour makes a stop at the National Palace of Culture’s Hall 1 at 8pm. A rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who has sold more than 10 million albums – thus making him the biggest-selling instrumental guitarist of all time, Satriani has worked with – among others – Mick Jagger (on Jagger’s 1988 solo tour), and Deep Purple. Tickets via eventim.bg.

Chris Norman of Smokie fame is at NDK in Sofia on October 18 at 7pm. Tickets cost 30 to 50 leva, via eventim.bg.

Jazz-singing great Gregory Porter will be live in concert at NDK’s Hall 3 on October 18 at 7.30pm, part of his 2015 summer tour that has taken him to, among other places, the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and Glastonbury. Tickets for the Sofia performance cost 40 or 50 leva, via eventim.bg.

Pink Martini make their latest return to Sofia on October 21, at NDK’s Hall 1 at 7.30pm. The group draws inspiration and reflects musical influences from classical to jazz and pop to offer up a fresh sound that charms a wide range of audiences. Tickets, from 40 to 100 leva, from NDK’s box office and via eventim.bg.

One Dance Week comes to Plovdiv from October 23 to November 1. Details to be announced on the Week’s website.

Internationally recognised Portuguese fado singer Ana Moura is at NDK’s Hall 1 on October 29 at 7.30pm. Tickets range from 40 to 100 leva and are available via the NDK box office and eventim.bg.

The annual International Festival of the Guitar is on in Plovdiv from October 29 to 31, with details of the programme yet to be announced.

On November 16, Manao – Drums of China appear at NDK’s Hall 1 at 8pm. Formed 14 years ago, the all-female drum troupe has given more than 1000 performances in various parts of the world. Tickets range from 26 to 60 leva, available via eventim.bg and at the NDK box office.

From November 18 to December 4, the St Petersburg State Ballet brings ballet-on-ice performances to Bulgaria. In each city, the first-night performance is Romeo and Juliet, and the second night, Sleeping Beauty. The performances are on November 18 and 19 at the Boris Christoff House of Culture in Plovdiv; on November 21 and 22 at Opera Bourgas, on November 24 and 25 at the Festival and Congress Centre in Varna, on November 27 and 28 at the Vassil Levski Palace of Culture and Sport in Veliko Turnovo and on November 30 at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, two performances – Romeo and Juliet at 6pm, and Sleeping Beauty at 8.30pm, and on December 3 and 4, in Rousse. Tickets cost from 10 to 60 leva, via eventim.bg.

The Budapest Gypsy Philharmonic Orchestra, a Hungarian orchestra made up of Roma musicians, and which is particularly influenced by Johannes Brahms, Vittorio Monti, Piotr Tchaïkovski, Johann Strauss, Johann Strauss II and others and which has been performing for 30 years, will be at NDK’s Hall 3 at November 24 at 7pm. Tickets cost from 30 to 80 leva.

Whitesnake, the British rock band which has its origins in the late 1970s, is at Arena Armeec in Sofia on November 24, part of their Purple Tour. Tickets cost from 60 to 120 leva, available via ticketpro.bg.

Belcanto – the legacy of Luciano Pavarotti, will be on tour in Bulgaria from November 26 to December 1. The performance dates are November 26, NDK Sofia; November 27, Sports Hall Arena Rousse; November 29, Opera Bourgas; November 30, State Opera Stara Zagora, and December 1, Boris Christoff House of Culture, Plovdiv. The show combines opera arias, traditional Neopolitan songs and ballet, performed by talented artists selected by the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation. Tickets cost 30 to 90 leva, via eventim.bg.

The great Spanish tenor José Carreras is to say farewell to his Bulgarian audience with a concert in Sofia at the National Palace of Culture on December 3 at 7pm. Tickets cost from 80 to 200 leva and are available via eventim.bg and at the National Palace of Culture.

The Schonbrunn Festival Orchestra Vienna performs in Varna on December 4 at the Festival and Congress Centre at 7pm and on December 6 at NDK Hall 1 in Sofia at 7pm. Tickets cost from 20 to 90 leva, via eventim.bg.

A performance of The Godfather Live in Concert comes to Sofia on December 7 and 8, with a showing of the Coppola film at NDK Hall 1 accompanied by a soundtrack performance by the Bulgarian National Radio symphony orchestra. Tickets cost 40 to 110 leva, via eventim.bg.

Pianist Richard Clayderman will perform at NDK Hall 1 on December 7 at 7.30pm. Tickets, from 30 to 70 leva, are available via ticketsbg.com.

Two of Italy’s most famous contemporary singers, Al Bano and Romina Power, will be on stage in a long-awaited reunion concert at Arena Armeec in Sofia on December 16 at 8pm. Tickets cost from 40 to 120 leva.

The Lord of the Rings in Concert – the Two Towers is at Arena Armeec in Sofia on December 19 at 8pm. Tickets cost from 80 to 120 leva, via eventim.bg. The big-screen showing of the film to the accompaniment of orchestra and choir is a sequel to the successful – and sold-out – performance of the first part of the trilogy at the same venue in the Bulgarian capital.

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